CM interacts with 140 youth during Vidyarthi Manthan event
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Sep: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today interacted with 140 selected students from across the state during the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Vidyarthi Manthan’ programme held at the Mukhya Sevak Sadan at his camp office here. During the event, he listened to their views, suggestions and their vision for the future of Uttarakhand and then stated that practical and useful ideas from the youth will be integrated into government policies and schemes. He announced that students of classes 10 and 12 studying in government schools will be provided tablets, with funds transferred directly to their accounts through DBT. He claimed that the government is committed to aligning the education system with future needs and connecting students with modern technology.
On the occasion, students who presented outstanding ideas under different themes were felicitated. Mayuh Bhandari and Raveena were awarded for ‘Education and Youth Opportunities’, Sharon Kapoor for ‘Environment, Forest and Disaster Resilience’, Satish Kumar for ‘Health and Public Services’, Mahi Balai for ‘Migration and Employment in Hill Areas’, Shritika Rawat for ‘Roads, Connectivity and Infrastructure’, Priyanshu Sajwan for ‘Technology and Good Governance’, Drishti Chauhan for ‘Tourism and Local Economy’, and Anushka Negi for ‘Women and Child Welfare’.
Congratulating all the participants, Dhami said that 2,67,744 students across the state had shared essays, ideas and suggestions under the campaign, reflecting the awareness and seriousness of Uttarakhand’s youth towards the future and development of their state. He noted that students provided inputs on education, health, tourism, roads, environment, sports, migration, self‑employment, start‑ups and rural livelihood opportunities, and that their innovation and vision can play a vital role in building a developed Uttarakhand.
The CM stressed that dialogue between government and youth must continue. Referring to interactions held by senior IAS officers with students during the programme, he said such exchanges between administration and youth will foster new ideas and better policymaking. He told the students that today’s generation is advancing rapidly with technology, innovation and fresh thinking. He recalled that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation has set the goal of becoming a developed country by 2047, and added that the youth will play a crucial role in achieving it. He said Uttarakhand’s youth have talent and capability, and what they need are the right opportunities, direction and transparent systems.
Dhami emphasised the importance of connecting youth with AI, robotics, digital skills and demand‑based modern competencies. He said the government’s aim is not only to prepare them for jobs but also to encourage entrepreneurship and self‑employment. Industrial and economic activities are being expanded to create more livelihood opportunities in hill areas. He urged students to dream big, work hard and believe in their abilities, reminding them that there is no shortcut to success and that perseverance is essential to achieve goals. Remembering former President and Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam, he called upon the students to dream big and dedicate themselves fully to realising those dreams. He said youth are Uttarakhand’s greatest strength, and their energy, innovation and hard work will take the state to new heights of development. He congratulated the entire team of the School Education Department for successfully organising the campaign and essay competition.
During the programme, students shared suggestions on various aspects of state development and sought information about government schemes. Anmol Pramar from Uttarkashi suggested that self‑employment schemes be publicised at the village level and career counselling be provided in schools along with scheme information. Vaishnavi from Rudrapur proposed a ‘Knowledge Bank’ to preserve and utilise the wisdom of senior citizens. Kashish from Kalsi highlighted the vast potential of medicinal plants in Uttarakhand and their scope in global markets. Bharat from Almora pointed to immense opportunities in tourism and suggested adopting best practices from across the world suited to the state’s conditions.
Secretaries Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Chandresh Kumar, Jyoti Yadav, Dheeraj Garbyal and C Savishankar, Additional Secretaries Alok Kumar Pandey, Banshidhar Tiwari, Sandeep Tiwari, Namami Bansal and Jharna Kamthan, Director General, Education, Akanksha Konde and officials from various departments were present on the occasion.
